1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cable guide for automobile sliding roofs. Specifically, it relates to such guides consisting of two lateral guide components, oriented parallel to each other, which together guide the guide shoes of a sliding roof panel. A forward guide component, adjoining the two lateral guide components via rounded corners, has the cable drive apparatus connected to it. All three guide components have two adjacently situated guide channels to guide the cables, the spacing between channels being of equal size in all three guide components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The term "sliding roof" is intended to include for the purposes of this description not only those constructions in which the sliding panel after its rear edge has been lowered, can be slid beneath the rear, fixed roof surface to expose the roof opening, but also "sliding-lifting roof" constructions, in which the sliding panel in addition, starting from its closed position, can be pivoted about a pivot axis located in the vicinity of its forward edge to raise it above the fixed roof surface.
In all known sliding roof constructions, the cable guide is constructed of a plurality of parts. This which not only makes manufacture and assembly difficult, but also results in butt joints between the individual parts, at which a step-shaped offset can occur, with the result that during the displacement of the cables through all the parts for the purpose of actuating the sliding panel, noise and difficulties in running can occur. Thus, one known cable guide (DE-OS 28 36 801) of the initially designated category is composed of three guide components, namely two like lateral guide components and one forward guide component, connecting the two lateral guide components together and itself of multi-part construction. The two lateral guide components as is usual in all known sliding roof constructions, are differently constructed from the forward guide component. In the assembling of the known cable guide, the free ends of the cables situated in the lateral guide components are threaded into the forward guide component, whereupon a lining frame is pushed between the lateral guide components. This pre-assembled structure is then installed in the vehicle, i.e. the forward guide component is at first only indirectly connected with the two lateral guide components. The relative position of the three guide components is not fixed until installation in the automobile.
The two lateral guide components may also be pre-assembled with the forward guide component according to the state of the art (DE-OS 29 14 855) to form one installation unit, in which again the lateral guide components are of different construction from the forward guide component. But here again the aforementioned disadvantageous butt joints occur in the region of the cable guide channels.